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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. land — a country
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. land — to come down
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. march — the month
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — all right
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. land — ground
  19. march — the month
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fine — high quality
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. march — music
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com